


You make the world disappear

by bouenkyou



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, HQ Rarepair Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-25
Updated: 2015-03-25
Packaged: 2018-03-19 13:47:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3612270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bouenkyou/pseuds/bouenkyou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Akiteru feels someone’s hand on his shoulder and quickly turns around, his eyes widening impossibly.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>“Saeko-san,” He says hesitantly and glances sideways. It almost seems like he’s studying possible escape courses.</i>
</p>
<p>Or, Akiteru and Saeko meet in a Karasuno match and that's how their love story starts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You make the world disappear

**Author's Note:**

> for [Haikyuu!! Rarepair Week](http://hqrarepairweek.tumblr.com) Day 1: Beginnings
> 
> I'm so excited about rarepair week, I'm really looking forward to what pairings will become popular after this.  
> Big thanks to Isy for revising this story and being generally awesome and helpful while I was writing it ;;

“Tsukishima-senpai!” 

Akiteru feels someone’s hand on his shoulder and quickly turns around, his eyes widening impossibly.

“Saeko-san,” He says hesitantly and glances sideways. It almost seems like he’s studying possible escape courses.

“Geez, senpai, you don’t have to look so spooked,” Saeko sighs, smiling. Akiteru returns the smile, but he still looks a little nervous.

For a minute, the silence is deafening.

“Are you here for the match?” she asks, looking around the arena. The game won’t start for another half an hour, but the place is already packed with people.

“Ah, yeah,” he grins, “my brother is on Karasuno’s team! He’s only a first year, but he’s already a regular. I was really surprised when I heard about it. Naturally, I’m really proud!”

She suddenly erupts in laughter and slams a palm on his back.

“Wow, senpai, this is the first time I’ve heard you talk so much!”

He glances around and sees that there are people staring at them. This seems to be an effect of hanging around Tanaka Saeko. He mentally stomps on his growing self-consciousness before it can mutate into something more alarming and he stares at her, grinning a bit.

“Anyway, he doesn’t know I’m here, but I wanted to try and cheer for him.” When he speaks, an emotion Saeko can’t identify flickers on Akiteru’s face. It only lasts for less than a second and Saeko ponders if maybe she imagined it.

“Are you here for the match, too, Saeko-san?” he continues.

“My little brother is also in Karasuno,” she says, “Our Ryuu is your brother’s senpai, in fact!” she continues. “For once, a Tsukishima will have to grovel at a Tanaka!” she boasts and Akiteru gives her another nervous smile that definitely indicates otherwise.

“Also, stop that ‘-san’ thing, it’s disgusting,” she finished, making a face.

Akiteru nods, still smiling. He doesn’t know what else to say and the silence stretches so long, he worries he missed his cue to continue the conversation. It’s been about 3 or 4 years since he last saw her, he muses.

He politely stares at Saeko, studying her features.

Her hair is shorter than it used to be. Her face seems softer, too; she isn’t scowling, for once. Her make-up isn’t gaudy anymore; her natural beauty is easier to perceive like this and he’s glad he was able to meet her again. He’s astonished by how much people can change. 

He wouldn’t openly admit it now, but he used to be a bit terrified of her. She was a loud, explosive little dynamo. They weren’t in the same grade, but she was famous throughout the whole school. There were all kinds of rumors going on about her. Stuff like her having a police record, or being the head of a female bike gang, or even more unbelievable things like that she had killed a deer with her bare hands.

They had only talked to each other directly a total of two times, once during a school trip and the second time after a match.

She was still nice to him when she saw him around, and he was proud of himself because a famous person at school knew his name, but she seemed so out of place in his ordinary little world. She was someone he shouldn’t associate with, the teachers told him. She was a no-good girl.

She was exactly the kind of girl her mother would have gazed at with worried eyes before turning to him and saying, “Aki-chan, be careful at school, ok? Nowadays it’s hard to say what some people are thinking.”

But back then, he had also secretly admired her. She always managed to catch people’s attention whenever she went and, before he knew, he had started following her with a curious gaze, noticing her every move. He could even spot her in the crowd during matches and he silently marveled at her from his post on the bench. 

“W-what is it? You’re creeping me out,” she says, and Akiteru almost jolts. He got too caught up in reminiscing and now he realizes he’s been staring too long. Her cheeks look a lovely pink color that doesn’t have anything to do with her make-up.

He remembers seeing her red-faced out of anger, or when she laughed so much her face looked almost purplish, and realizes this subtle pink dusting definitely suits her better.

“Is that a way to speak to your senpai?” he asks, feeling suddenly courageous. She laughs and bows.

“Excuse my impudent attitude, senpai! I swear it won’t happen again, or my name is not Tanaka Saeko!”

“Silly, it’s because your name is Tanaka Saeko that I know it’s going to happen again,” he says, mock-serious. She downright cackles and he’s sure those around them are staring now, but, for the next ten minutes, the only thing he can see and hear is her.

The sound of the whistle pulls him out of the dream-like state he’s been for the last ten minutes. The crowd’s cheering fills his ears suddenly and he looks at Saeko, she is excitedly talking and pointing towards the court, but the roaring and clapping around them swallows her words. He looks at the athletes and can quickly spot Saeko’s brother. He grins to himself, thinking they definitely look alike.

He finds Kei in the court, too, and his grin softens into a fond smile.

“Oh, I spot a Tsukishima.” Saeko speaks so close to his ear that Akiteru visibly jerks. The crowd is now quiet. He hadn’t noticed. When did she move so close?

“Saeko-sa—”

“Senpai,” her warning tone reminds him that honorifics were forbidden.

“Akiteru, then” he states and she looks confused for a few beats before nodding.

She calls his name right there and then, for practice, and it’s the most delightful sound he’s ever heard.

After the match, the crowd rushes outside the venue. Akiteru loses sight of Saeko for a while, but they manage to find each other again outside.

She walks towards him and the world around him becomes still. All the colors and sounds disappear, and all he can see is her. He distinctly hears the knocking sound her boots make when they hit the pavement. The sun behind her makes her whole frame glow.

Saeko grins at him cheerfully. Akiteru can’t stop looking at her.

“Your little brother looked like he swallowed a bug when he saw you in the crowd,” she snorts. “I think you’ll be told off next time you meet him.” she finishes, almost doubling over with laughter like she’s imagining how it will go.

He breathes out slowly, coming to a decision.

“Saeko, do you come to all the matches?” he asks, feeling his cellphone on his pocket before pulling it out.

She straightens and stares at him, the seriousness of his tone probably taking her aback.

“If I can, yes,” she replies, looking at his hand. She sees his cellphone and her face brightens. “Oh, wanna exchange numbers? I can give you reports of how the team goes!”

He laughs and nods, his heart beating slightly faster at the fact that she beat him to it.

They exchange contact information and Akiteru thinks hard about what to say next, hoping he doesn’t sound too eager, too forward. 

“Getting reports would be great, but we can also meet up, catch up. You know?” He tries hard not to stammer his last statement.

A small smile curves her lips; she looks slightly embarrassed but also a great deal hopeful.

“Yeah, that would be great. I’ll be looking forward to that, Akiteru,” she says, extending her right hand.

He grabs her hand; it feels so small inside his own, but her palm is soft and warm. She holds his hand firmly and shakes once before pulling away.

“I have to go now, but it was great seeing you!” She waves at him before walking away and his eyes follow her shape until she vanishes.

The world around him starts moving again—noise fills his ears and he feels like he’s just woken up. He looks at his phone, her number still on screen and before he can regret it, he dials and she picks up right away.

“About that meeting,” he says, “what about tonight?”

The sound of bubbling laughter that comes from the speaker is enough of an answer. He thinks he’s becoming addicted to this sound—it explodes on his ears, it’s fresh and contagious. He unconsciously smiles.

“I’ll see you,” she says, promising. 

That night, he’s surprised by his own courage when he kisses her under the moonlight. She stands on her tiptoes to kiss him back and that almost kills him. Damn—he’s still foolishly in love with her.

*** 

“You’re late, Akiteru!” Saeko looks a little angry, but her tone is fond. Akiteru bows and smiles his nervous smile, trying hard to apologize.

“Sorry, Saeko, my junior from the volleyball club kept asking me to coach him; before I knew it, it was time to meet you.”

She sighs and rolls her eyes before getting on her bike.

“Yeah, sure,”she says, handing him the extra helmet. “Get on, we’re going drinking!”

He gets on the bike and holds onto her gently, suddenly remembering the first time he held her like this and how nervous he was about it. A smile sets on his lips.

“Smile all you want, but listen, this time you’re paying. I’ll take that as your apology!” She turns on the engine and the sound drowns Akiteru’s groan.

“As you wish, Saeko-san!” he says, teasing her, and she groans back before steering the bike towards the street.

While they’re riding, his mind wanders towards that meeting during a Karasuno match, that one time he went to cheer on a whim. Who would have thought he would have met his old high school crush there?

Who would have thought she could actually like him back?

Who would have thought he would now have a girlfriend named Tanaka Saeko?

He squeezes her middle and pressed his cheek against her shoulder, murmuring a quick confession. Saeko giggles; she mock-groans.

“You’re creeping me out!” she yells, but her cheeks look pinker and her smile is so big and bright he knows she doesn’t mean it.

**Author's Note:**

> comments are more than welcome :D  
> I wrote this before chapter 150 came out, but what a coincidence! I was almost weeping ;; how doomed am I? please talk to me about akisae!!


End file.
